Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 295
SWAN VALLEY – Children and adults of all ages can get in the Easter spirit this year at Condon's annual Community Easter Egg Hunt starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 3 at the Condon Community Ball Field north of the Condon Airstrip on Highway 83. Face masks and gloves are optional but participants must bring their own baskets. Participants will be separated into five different hunts for the following age groups: 0-5, 6-12, 13-20 and 21+. Among the 3,000 candy filled eggs will be some that c...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School art students had the opportunity to have their work showcased in a public forum at Gallery 83's Open House Friday, March 26. Brandy Wyckoff, art teacher and gallery owner, said 20 pieces by students were featured in a specific section of the gallery. There was no overarching theme submissions had to adhere to. A nearby computer flashed graphic design submissions also made by the students. Junior Chase Haines' multimedia project featured imagery based on the...
The Southwestern Land Office (SWLO) of the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC) and Keep Montana Green announced the southwestern Montana regional winners of the 60th Annual Keep Montana Green Wildfire Prevention Art Contest. Local winners included third grader Maggie Applegate from Helmville School who placed first in the primary division (kindergarten through third grade); sixth grader Michael Goettle from Helmville School who placed second in the intermediate division...
SEELEY LAKE – At their monthly meeting March 22, the Seeley Lake Elementary School Board unanimously approved a resolution of intent to impose an increase in levies for transportation, building reserve and tuition fund and to run a general fund levy election. The general fund levy will appear on the May 4 mail-in election for those within Seeley Lake School District #34. Ballots will be mailed April 14. For the permission levy, transportation saw a 1.72 decrease in mills for an estimated revenue change of -$15,275.71. Building reserve saw a ....
OVANDO - Ryan and Tiffanie Zavarelli are ecstatic to be entering into a new phase of their lives as they take ownership of Trixi's Antler Saloon from Ryan's parents Cindy and Ray Francis beginning April 1. Tiffanie said come April the couple will be jumping right into their new positions with no transitional break in between. The couple recently moved back to Ovando in preparation of the change. They will be taking this on as an opportunity to "step out of city life" and be closer to Ryan's...
MISSOULA COUNTY - Earlier in March, President Joe Biden sent out a federal order making teachers and school staff across the country eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This allocation came at no hindrance to the vaccine supply that was already expected to be given out to Montanans who now qualify for Phase 1b plus of the distribution plan. Seeley Lake Elementary School Superintendent Josh Gibbs said after Biden's announcement, the process of organizing a vaccination clinic at the school...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake campgrounds and day use sites as well as the Historic Double Arrow Lookout will see deferred maintenance upgrades starting this summer following an allocation of funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Montana Senator Jon Tester recently secured $285 million that will go into 54 national forest service projects according to a March 11 press release. Twelve of these projects will directly impact the Lolo National Forest including area campground sites and...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake Lions Club is inviting local families to celebrate Easter at Seeley Lake Elementary School by picking up a basket at the Easter Hop-n-Bop. The event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 3 and will end at roughly 2:30 p.m. Children will be able to pick up an Easter basket from one of four stations based on their age: 0-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. No signup is required. Lions Club Secretary Cheryl Lewis said they intend to give away over 200 baskets full of candy, small toys or trinkets. Every basket will contain a plastic...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School junior Hannah Ayers received an honorable mention at the Prospects 2021 High School Business Pitch Competition for her business proposal for the Seeley Swan Sandwich Shop. She won a $250 Visa gift card that she intends to put towards her college fund. Matthew Olson, network development director for the Montana Chamber of Commerce as well as program manager for the competition, said Ayers was among the top 25 submissions out of 93 total. A total of 171...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School graduate Kyle Peltier plans to do the hike of a lifetime as he prepares for his trek that starts April 11 along the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail is 2,653 miles and goes from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. Hikers pass through multiple terrains along their journey including desert, rain forest and mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) estimates that the hike will take 133 days if the participant travels an average of 20 miles a...
HELENA - A bill that would provide Montana’s public sectors from frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits is soon heading into the state Senate. House Bill 435 passed on its third reading 67-32 in the Montana House of Representatives March 1. Bill sponsor Rep. Bill Mercer (R-Billings) said that part of the motivation behind the bill is to make it easier for schools and public services in the state to re-open. “If we are going to move forward and reopen activities as we have traditionally known them, when entities are making best efforts to do things in a r...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake Community Council discussed how to honor the memory of the late Council Chairman Klaus von Stutterheim during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting Monday, March 8. Council also heard updates regarding vaccines, the Sewer District Board and the Seeley Lake Ranger District. Vice Chair Jack Greenwood said Von Stutterheim’s contributions to organizing council meetings became immediately apparent following his passing. “Now that Klaus isn’t here, we’re finding out exactly how much work he did,” Greenwood said. “[W...
POTOMAC - The Potomac School Board unanimously voted to approve their 2021-2022 lease agreement with Potomac Greenough Community Center (PGCC) during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting Monday, March 8. They also approved a second reading of Montana School Board Association (MTSBA) policy updates and discussed what direction they would move in regarding the school’s mask mandate. Trustee Dr. Courtney Hathaway said she met with PGCC Chair Dawn Downs to go over the changes that the School Board had made to the agreement during a special m...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Elementary School Board unanimously voted to approve a second reading of board policies regarding marijuana at their monthly board meeting Tuesday, March 9. The policies exclusively had to do with consumption and possession of marijuana on school grounds. While recreational usage was legalized in Montana during the 2020 election, it will still be against school policy to possess or use the substance on school grounds. The main changes made were mostly wording clarification. Principal Ralph King announced that all s...
OVANDO - Trixi's Antler Saloon will venture into a new phase as co-owners Cindy and Ray Francis pass the bar and restaurant to their son Ryan Zavarelli and his wife Tiffanie April 1. Cindy said they are excited for Ryan and Tiffanie to take over because it will allow the business to stay in the family for the third generation in a row. The saloon has been operating in Ovando since 1960. The building was originally an old barrack from Fort Harrison that the original owner Trixi McCormick paid $1...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School 2020 graduate Terra Bertsch recently signed with the University of Providence in Great Falls to compete in track and basketball. Bertsch took a semester of classes at Montana State University in Bozeman before deciding to transfer to the University of Providence in the fall 2021. As part of agreeing to compete for both teams, she was offered a full-ride scholarship. She was happy that she could work her schedule around both sports so she could remain...
SEELEY LAKE - As the anniversary of COVID-19 coming into the U.S. passes, the majority of its citizens have experienced an unprecedented period of social isolation. The threat of the virus makes it difficult for certain institutions to be fully functional and for individuals to socialize how they normally would. Local Therapist Kim Heninger LCPC, LAC, LLC said there is an “insidious depression” that sets in over time as a result of extended isolation. This can result in a “void” that needs constant fulfillment. “I don’t want to make a gene...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Nordic Team wrapped up their 2021 cross-country ski season by competing in their second race, the Nordic Dance Invitational Saturday, Feb. 27. Normally the team would compete in five to seven races, including three at home. However, due to COVID-19, many were postponed to next year. Head Coach Bridget Laird said this was the first iteration of the Nordic Dance Invitational. There were only two teams involved, one from Missoula and one from Seeley Lake. To avoid...
HELENA - An amended version of a bill that would place no more than 39% of out-of-state elk and deer tags into an “early bird” limited outfitter pool has caused debate in the Montana State Senate resulting in its original sponsor voting against the newest version. A second reading of Senate Bill 143 amended passed in the Senate 27-23 Feb. 23. The bill’s sponsor, Senate District 43 Representative Jason Ellsworth (R-Hamilton), originally brought the bill forward with the intention of providing stability to outfitters. It would give them a selec...
SWAN VALLEY - When Unleashed in the Swan owner Kathy Koors of Condon agreed to help foster two dogs while a married couple from Kalispell recovered from COVID-19, she did not expect to continue caring for them once those owners died from the disease. She and other local animal care workers are now encouraging residents, especially elderly ones, to plan ahead for their mortality specifically regarding their pets. Koors found out about the fostering opportunity from Flathead Animal Clinic. She...
SEELEY LAKE - Claire Muller, Seeley Lake Community Foundation, executive director, gave updates on how the funding from the $2,000 Reimagining Rural grant was distributed. The original plan was to use the majority of the funding towards providing complementary outdoor Christmas lights to Seeley Lake businesses and homeowners with the remainder going to general Winterfest expenses. Those who took the lights do not have to return them to the Foundation and can reuse them for years to come. Muller said they spent almost $1,300 on lights with...
POTOMAC - Members of the Potomac School Board unanimously voted to deny an amended Potomac Greenough Community Center (PGCC) lease agreement for 2021-2022 during a special meeting Monday, Feb. 22. Earlier in the meeting, the Board unanimously approved the Potomac Association of Classified Employees (PACE) contract for 2021-2023 as well as the Principal’s contract for 2021-2022 with slight revisions made to both. The School Board met Tuesday, Feb. 18 where they discussed the lease and made initial amendments to it. The lease they approved at t...
HELENA - Two bills sponsored by House District 92 Representative Mike Hopkins (R-Missoula) regarding freedom of expression on college campuses have passed the Montana House of Representatives and are set to move on to the Montana State Senate. If approved these would both be passed into state law. House Bill 349 would allow campus organizations to exclude people based on their beliefs as well as prevent universities from expelling students based on their speech. It passed on third reading 67-33 Feb. 23. According to Hopkins, this bill protects...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School Senior basketball player Bethany Hoag was voted Missoulian's Athlete of the Week last week after being nominated for the first time. Every week the Missoulian sports department and Republic Services nominate four boys and four girls to honor them for this award. One athlete in each category is then selected for the title by public vote. Hoag was nominated because she filled the Lady Blackhawks' stat sheet with 18 points, 12 rebounds, six steals, two assists...
SEELEY LAKE - The Missoula County Sheriff's Office honored five individuals at a ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 16 for their life-saving actions following a September plane crash north of Seeley Lake Airport. The individuals recognized include Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue (SSSAR) volunteers Matt Pitman, Jason Ayers and Kal Kovatch, Civilian Mike Lindemer and U.S. Forest Service Federal Officer Tyler Robinson. Around 10 p.m. Sept. 12, 2020, SSSAR and local law enforcement responded to a report that an...
